Understanding this test

[Audreya]

Hope someone here can help me understand these this test. I was looking through some of my husbands tests done while he was hospitalized and came across this: PR-3 Antibody EIA His result was 90.8. Anyone?

[Alysia]

Hi. I dont know the norms in US for PR3. It is a derivative of C-anca. Pr3 is a more accurate number, checking same thing. Positive C-anca is one of the indications for WG. Also are the numbers of PR3. My wg dr. Uses the changing pr3 values as a measurement to the activity of my wg. The lower, the better. Keep the numbers to compare with pr3 in the future, and see if his wg activity is going down.

[Audreya]

Alysia, thank you so much. So yes his result is elevated as was the C-ANCA. He was Dx 6 weeks and is taking prednisone and Cytoxan. New blood work yesterday so we will see if the numbers are moving in the right direction. Again thank you.

[Mrs.M]

The PR3 is one of the markers that my husband's doctor uses to determine if the B cells are back. I agree with Alysia. The lower the number, the better. If it rises, my understanding is that treatment is not working.

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[Alias]

I think there is some confusion about this, or some differences between patients or medical opinions about what changing C-ANCA and PR3 readings may mean. In my case, this test was run only once, maybe twice to confirm results. I was told this was very helpful in diagnosis but not so meaningful in monitoring disease activity. Once diagnosis was confirmed, my standard labs were ESR, CRP, CBC and CMP. I am not an expert... just relating my personal experience.

[Pete]

Tom, I get the same labs every other month now. In addition, I get a urinalysis. This serves as a warning for bladder cancer (among other things) since I was on cytoxan for 16 months.

[drz]

Tom, I get the same labs every other month now. In addition, I get a urinalysis. This serves as a warning for bladder cancer (among other things) since I was on cytoxan for 16 months.

Me too, but my urologist said there is not any good way to identify any early signs of bladder cancer from Cytoxan except by scoping it. The labs like blood in urine might help you become aware of it after it develops but other signs might also be already present by then. I found this news some what discouraging since they said this type of cancer is also rather aggressive and fast moving if it develops. Just another of the gifts that Wegs keeps on giving once we become the lucky recipient.:sad: My past treatment for Wegs has also increased my risk of several other forms of cancer too although the risk still is small. If one has a risk factor of 1 in 1000 or even 1 in 100 and it doubles or even triples, it is still statistically a small risk.